Helping Forget
by AlwaysPadfoot
Summary: The Deatheaters had just destroyed a family, just like that. T for Language.


**Helping Forget**

**Always Padfoot**

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_**Prompts**__: I'd love to do a character with a wife, a nice little house, a couple of kids, a dog, maybe a bit of singing..."_

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Sirius Black wasn't afraid to admit he hated being on duty in Diagon Alley, particularly this early in the morning. The only thing that made it just a little better, he wouldn't admit to anything more, was that he and James were on their first patrol together. If they were lucky, they'd make it through the morning without dying of boredom.

Nothing ever happened this early, and besides, Diagon Alley wasn't exactly a beehive of activity at five o'clock in the morning. In fact to see anyone around would be suspicious.

"I'm thinking of asking Lily to marry me," James' voice cut through the short silence that haunted the morning darkness of the Alley as they sat on the steps of Gringrotts Bank.

"That's brilliant, mate."

Sirius' eyes focused on the alley ahead of him, he'd been waiting for James to tell him ever since he'd seen the ring hidden in his bedside draw, and for once in a long time he felt a pang of jealousy.

"Thing is, what if she really doesn't like me? What if she says no?" James turned to Sirius, who was shuffling his feet slightly in thought.

"She won't, Lily loves you Prongs."

James observed him quietly for a second, "You're jealous."

"Am not!" Sirius gasped feigning horror, James grinned slightly and twirled his wand in his hand, conscious that there was a figure at the bottom of the street.

"C'mon Padfoot, what are you jealous of," he smirked, nudging Sirius' shoulder slightly even though both of them were watching the figure with great interest now.

"When have I ever been jealous of anyone or anything?" Sirius retorted, his own wand now tapping against his leg in agitation.

"You clearly are," James sang. Sirius didn't respond, because before he knew it he threw himself at James. Both of them were on the ground in an instance, the killing curse spiralling over their heads and colliding with the top of Gringrotts steps above them. Without a second thought they scrambled to their feet taking cover from what was now clearly a Deatheater at the end of the Alley. James immediately called the order to battle as the sounds of apparation cracks split the air further down the cobbled street.

"Shit, what the hell do they want," Sirius hissed, peering round the corner and gripping his wand tightly in his hand. Two Deatheaters were heading towards the two Aurors now and they had to move and think fast in case the number of cracks matched the amount of Deatheaters. It probably did.

"Stupefy," screamed James as Sirius ducked a particularly nasty looking orange curse. He fired off a Stupefy to match James' and they both found their target. It was unfortunate though that as soon as they did another Deatheater shot a spell at a nearby shop and the whole bottom floor exploded outwards.

That was when people started screaming, woken by the shouts and explosions almost instantly. It was lucky as chaos began to ensue, back up arrived, both from the Ministry and the Order.

"POTTER, BLACK," Moody appeared directly behind them, "Get any survivors out of those flats and stores."

The two men exchanged a fleeting glance before they apparated into the first floor flat of the currently-on-fire Kwikles Kwikspell Solutions. The first thing to assess was that there were flames licking at their feet through the flimsy floorboards and almost immediately the second thing that they came across was the sound of a child crying and screaming. Without even thinking Sirius crossed the flat and threw open the nearest door, the one the screaming was coming from. Inside he spotted none other than Hayley Kwikles who had been three years younger than him and the Marauders in Hogwarts. Clutched to her chest was a small child, not much older than two.

"JAMES, OVER HERE," Sirius shouted over the noise, "Hayley, it's Sirius, we've come to get you out of here."

She turned slightly, her body shaking, tears streaming down her face. Without another thought she stumbled towards Sirius, thrusting the toddler into his arms, "My parents, they were downstairs."

Sirius' body froze for a second, the bottom floor had been absolutely devastated, there were going to be no survivors down there. It seemed Hayley could tell that this was the case and she immediately screamed, bolting for the door, but James captured her solidly round the waist before the four of them disapparated to the secure point where the Order had appeared. As soon as they hit solid ground, Hayley started kicking and screaming at James.

"No, NO. LET ME GO. I NEED TO GO SAVE THEM, NO."

"Hayley, please," James held onto her tightly, "They're gone, I'm so sorry, but they're gone."

"No... Please no," the girl broke down, sobbing heavily against James and Sirius had to bite his lip in anger. The Deatheaters had just destroyed a family, just like that.

"Haywee?" A small soft voice came from the child Sirius was carrying and he placed the toddler down on the floor so he could walk over to his sister. It was at that moment that Lily appeared, her face a picture of relief when she realised James was still alive before her expression became worried when she saw Hayley clinging to her boyfriend. She approached them, talking softly to Hayley and her brother, before drawing her wand to heal them.

Sirius watched in silence, his jealously back once again. That's all he wanted; he wanted the woman who loved him and a house somewhere where they could have kids. Maybe they could have a mini-Padfoot, a big black Labrador, he could curl up at the end of the bed whilst Sirius listened to her sing their child to sleep.

Her.

He blinked harshly. They never should have argued like that, maybe after the war was over...

"BLACK," Alastor Moody shouted gruffly, "We need your sorry scrawny behind back over here to get rid of this scum."

And just like that Sirius went back to doing the only thing that helped him forget.


End file.
